Abstract: Simple design of a multilayer optical recording medium is achieved while suppressing interlayer crosstalk and confocal crosstalk in the multilayer optical recording medium. Simple recording and reading control by a recording and reading unit is also achieved. The multilayer optical recording medium includes at least three or more recording and reading layers deposited one above the other with intermediate layers interposed therebetween, and information can be read by light irradiation from the layers. The intermediate layers have film thicknesses of two types or less, and all the recording and reading layers except the recording and reading layer farthest from a light incident surface have substantially the same optical constant.

Abstract: The multilayer optical recording medium with at least four or more recording and reading layers disposed one above the other has at least two or more recording and reading layer groups each including the recording and reading layers successively disposed one above the other. In adjacent recording and reading layer groups with an intermediate layer interposed therebetween, a recording and reading layer nearest a front side in the recording and reading layer group nearer a back side is higher than the higher value of the reflectances in a stacked state of two recording and reading layers nearest the back side in the recording and reading layer group nearer the front side.

Abstract: The multilayer optical recording medium with six or more recording and reading layers disposed one above the other has at least two or more recording and reading layer groups. The recording and reading layer groups each include a plurality of recording and reading layers successively disposed one above the other. The reflectance of each of the recording and reading layers in a stacked state decreases in the order from a front side near a light incident surface toward a back side far from the light incident surface. A recording and reading layer nearest the front side among the recording and reading layers in the recording and reading layer group nearer the back side has a reflectance in a stacked state higher than that of a recording and reading layer nearest the back side among the recording and reading layers in the recording and reading layer group nearer the front side.

Abstract: Efficient recording and reading are achieved in an optical recording medium including servo layers and recording and reading layers. The optical recording medium includes: a first servo layer having a projection and a depression for tracking control that are formed in a first spiral direction; a second servo layer having a projection and a depression for tracking control that are formed in a second spiral direction opposite to the first spiral direction; and a plurality of recording and reading layers having a flat structure with no projection and depression for tracking control. Information is recorded on each of the plurality of recording and reading layers while tracking control is performed using the first servo layer or the second servo layer.

Abstract: An optical recording medium having three or more information recording layers reduces crosstalk caused by multi-reflected beams and improves signal quality. In the optical recording medium having three or more information recording layers, the refractive index of a plurality of intermediate layers disposed between adjacent information recording layers is greater than the refractive index of a cover layer disposed between a light incident surface and an information recording layer being the closest from the light incident surface.

Abstract: A method for evaluating a read signal obtained by irradiating a medium with a laser beam through an objective lens and reading data from the reflected laser beam by a PRML detection method is provided. The method includes: a sampling step of sampling the data obtained from the reflected laser beam at clock timings to obtain sampled values; and a step of, when a constraint length of a PR class in the PRML detection method is an even number, computing an intermediate sampled value for evaluation using at least adjacent two of the sampled values arranged in the order sampled at the clock timings. The provided method is an objective evaluation method when the PRML detection method is used, whereby the selection of a recording medium and a reading apparatus is facilitated.

Abstract: An optical recording and reading method capable of enhancing the design flexibility of recording layers of an optical recording medium and performing accurate optical recording and reading operations. A basic recording layer is arranged in a position that is in the range of 90 ?m to 110 ?m away from a light incident surface of an optical recording medium, and recording layers are arranged in parallel with the basic recording layer. At least the position information of the recording layers is recorded in one of the basic recording layer and the recording layers.

Abstract: An optical recording and reading method is provided in which the information necessary for recording and reading layers is quickly acquired to reduce the seek time during reading and recording. The optical recording and reading method is used for an optical recording medium that includes a plurality of recording and reading layers and a servo layer. Information is recorded on or read from the recording and reading layers by irradiating them with a recording and reading beam while the servo layer is irradiated with a servo beam to perform tracking control. When information is recorded on the recording and reading layers, control information necessary for subsequent recording and reading to be performed on the recording and reading layers is recorded on the servo layer 18. When the subsequent recording or reading is performed, the control information on the servo layer is consulted, and then the recording or reading is performed on the recording and reading layers.

Abstract: An optical reading system is provided to improve read signal quality with increasing its linear recording density. An optical recording medium in which the distance from a light incident surface to an information recording layer is less than 100 ?m is irradiated with a laser beam through an objective lens and information stored in the information recording layer is read by means of a PRML detection method. At this time, the constraint length n in the PRML detection method is set to an integer which satisfies 0.5×(?/NA)/(LV/f)?1<n<0.5×(?/NA)/(LV/f)+1, wherein ? represents the wavelength of the laser beam, NA represents the numerical aperture of the objective lens, LV represents the linear velocity of the optical recording medium when recording, and f represents a channel bit frequency when recording.

Abstract: In an optical recording medium, even when a plurality of recording and reading layers are stacked, deterioration in the recording and reading signal quality thereof is suppressed. Furthermore, the transfer rate thereof can be increased. When recording or reading information by means of light irradiation on or from an optical recording medium having a plurality of recording and reading layers which are stacked in advance or formed eventually, an optical recording and reading device includes: a first optical system for irradiating a first beam to recording and reading layers to be a first target to perform recording or reading of information; and a second optical system for irradiating a second beam to recording and reading layers to be a second target to perform recording or reading of information.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a recording and reading layer that is previously staked or formed afterward and has no concavo-convex pattern for tracking control, and a servo layer in which a concavo-convex pattern or a groove for tracking control is formed. Information can be recorded in the recording and reading layer while tracking is performed using the servo layer.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to increase the number of stacked layers in a multilayer optical recording medium while simplifying the design of the multilayer optical recording medium. Provided is a multilayer optical recording medium 10 including at least four recording and reading layers from which information can be reproduced by light irradiation, the layers stacked through intermediate layers. The multilayer optical recording medium 10 includes the plurality of recording and reading layers that are continuous in order of stacking and includes at least one recording and reading layer group in which reflectance in a stacked state decreases from a near side of a light incident surface to a far side. A single-layer reflectance of the nearest recording and reading layer is set to 0.2% or more and less than 2.0%, and a light transmittance improvement process is applied to the light incident surface.

Abstract: An optical recording medium which includes three or more information layers and has a higher stack density of information layers than before in the direction of thickness while reducing crosstalk during reproduction, and a method for reading the optical recording medium are provided. The optical recording medium has a three-layer structure which includes a substrate, a first information layer, a first spacer layer, a second information layer, a second spacer layer, a third information layer, and a cover layer thinner than the substrate, with these layers being stacked in that order over the substrate, wherein the following Equation (I) is satisfied: (R2×R3×R2)/R1?0.0032??Equation (I) where R1 is the reflectivity of the first information layer, R2 is the reflectivity of the second information layer, and R3 is the reflectivity of the third information layer, and the first spacer layer and the second spacer layer are equal to each other in thickness.

Abstract: In a multi-layer optical disc, having three (3) or more recording layers thereof, for enabling an easy focus lead-in operation onto a desired recording layer, reflectivity of respective recording layers are so determined that a ratio between the reflectivity of the desired recording layer and the reflectivity of other recording layers is equal or greater than a predetermined value, upon basis of the reflectivity of the other recording layers.

Abstract: An optical recording medium including recording and reading layers and a servo layer increases the recording capacity thereof. In the optical recording medium including the plurality of recording and reading layers and the servo layer, the servo layer has a groove and a land that can be used to perform tracking control with a long-wavelength servo beam. Information is recorded on the recording and reading layers with a recording and reading beam having a wavelength shorter than the wavelength of the servo beam. Recording marks are formed on the recording and reading layers while both the groove and land are tracked.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an optical recording medium and a method for producing an optical recording medium that enable to improve the quality of a servo signal and a reproduction signal. The optical recording medium satisfies: t3?t4?1 ?m, t4?t2?1 ?m, t2?10 ?m, and t1?(t2+t3+t4)?1 ?m, where t1 is a thickness between a surface of the optical recording medium, and the first information recording surface, t2 is a thickness between the first optical recording surface and the second information recording surface, t3 is a thickness between the second optical recording surface and the third information recording surface, and t4 is a thickness between the third optical recording surface and the fourth information recording surface.

Abstract: A signal quality evaluation method is provided that can objectively evaluate signal quality regardless of a PRML detection method used. The signal quality evaluation method is used when recording and reading is performed by irradiating a medium with a laser beam having a wavelength of ? through an objective lens having a numerical aperture of NA. In the signal quality evaluation method, information of the difference between an ideal signal recoded in the medium and a real signal obtained by irradiating the medium with the laser beam is statistically analyzed for each signal level of the ideal signal. The evaluation of the quality of the real signal is made using the statistics obtained by the statistical analysis.

Abstract: The multilayer optical recording medium with six or more recording and reading layers disposed one above the other has at least two or more recording and reading layer groups. The recording and reading layer groups each include a plurality of recording and reading layers successively disposed one above the other. The reflectance of each of the recording and reading layers in a stacked state decreases in the order from a front side near a light incident surface toward a back side far from the light incident surface. A recording and reading layer nearest the front side among the recording and reading layers in the recording and reading layer group nearer the back side has a reflectance in a stacked state higher than that of a recording and reading layer nearest the back side among the recording and reading layers in the recording and reading layer group nearer the front side.

Abstract: Simple design of a multilayer optical recording medium is achieved while suppressing interlayer crosstalk and confocal crosstalk in the multilayer optical recording medium. Simple recording and reading control by a recording and reading unit is also achieved. The multilayer optical recording medium includes at least three or more recording and reading layers deposited one above the other with intermediate layers interposed therebetween, and information can be read by light irradiation from the layers. The intermediate layers have film thicknesses of two types or less, and all the recording and reading layers except the recording and reading layer farthest from a light incident surface have substantially the same optical constant.

Abstract: The multilayer optical recording medium with at least four or more recording and reading layers disposed one above the other has at least two or more recording and reading layer groups each including the recording and reading layers successively disposed one above the other. In adjacent recording and reading layer groups with an intermediate layer interposed therebetween, a recording and reading layer nearest a front side in the recording and reading layer group nearer a back side is higher than the higher value of the reflectances in a stacked state of two recording and reading layers nearest the back side in the recording and reading layer group nearer the front side.